Vaporizer



June 18, 1935. c. J. LOOS ET AL VAPORIZER Filed Jan. 29, 1932 M 2m W w 55 O a x H M a 6 E5 7 22m 3v 56am Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention has to do with Vaporizers and more particularly with an improved type of vaporizer adapted to be attached to the body of the user. 1 To and including the present time, Vaporizers have been of a crude and inconvenient form. Especially has this been true when vaporizing treatment has been desired for infants or adult persons confined to the bed because of the excess weight which makes the conventional vaporizer unwieldy, and because thestructure thereof did not lend itself to use with such patients.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vaporizer light in weight with means for attaching it in a suitable manner to a patient.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vaporizer that when supported on the person of the patient by the means provided, it will, regardless of the position of ,the patient, maintairithe vessel containing the material being vaporized in an upright position.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved form of cup for a vaporant.

Another object of the present invention is to provide as complemental toa vaporizer a hood adapted to direct the fumes arising therefrom toward the face of a patient.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a vaporizer pivotal or other supports for the housing rotated ninety degrees from other pivotal or similar supports for the vaporant cup carried therein, that the cup may diiferentially retain its equilibrium. V

Further objects and advantages of this invention and the details of its construction will be fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawing where like reference numerals relate to similar parts and in which;

Figure 1 shows in perspective an elevation of the embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is an orthographic projection of the invention with a fragment thereof in cross section, and taken at ninety degrees to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the invention taken along the line 33, Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating a portion of the invention in detail.

The reference character l indicates a housing for the device and around which the remainder of the apparatus is constructed (see Figure 2). Said housing 10 has a flat circular bottom H and an oblate spheroid side wall l2 rising from the circumference thereof; the whole being of sheet material, either a metal or a dielectric.

casing iii of a dielectric material.

Oppositely disposed in the upper section of walls l2 are two apertures I3. Within these apertures I3 are seated bushing members 14 which carry in a pivotal manner the inner mechanism of the device. Said bushing members comprise an outer Within the casing I is disposed a bearing member 16 having therein an axial recess l1. A head 18 composing the outer end of the bearing proper is entirely enveloped by the pocket l9 at the outer end of the casing and to prevent longitudinal movement relative the bearing and the casing.

Surrounding the inner extension of the casing 15 is an insulating washer 2| and adjacent the wall 12 to measurably position a metal lug 22 from the wall. The lug 22 is in electrical contact with the bearing member l6 and the selected assembly therewith is retained by a nut 23 engaging the threads at the extreme inner end of the bearing member.

Diametrically opposed trunnions 24 are disposed within the recess 11 and support a compound ring 241: which is composed of an outer and inner member designated by numbers 25 and 26 respectively. These rings 25 and 26 hold securely therebetween electrical conductor strips '21. Within the inner ring 25 will be noted apertures 28 which register with beads 29 terminating the inner end of trunnions 24. The cut away section 28 provides that the trunnion 24 will draw said head in electrical contact with the conductor strip 21 when the nut 30 is tightened upon threads 3|.

Located at ninety degrees from the above described trunnions and within the rings 25 and 26 are bushings 32. The outer ring 25 contains an aperture 33 on a common axis with a smaller aperture 34 in the inner ring 25. In registry to and intermediate apertures 33 and 34 is a third aperture 35 within the electrical conductor'strip 21, said aperture being of the same diameter as aperture 34. Therefore, when the bushing 32 is costationed within the three mentioned apertures the larger aperture 33 receives the en'- larged portion 36 of the bushing, that said portion will come in contact with the conductor strip 21, while the journal portion 31 of said bushing extends into the other two apertures and somewhat beyond the inner edge of the ring 25 where a nut 38 is screwed thereon to secure the assembly, and draw the enlarged portion of the bushing in close contact with the conductor strip. A metal basin 39 is centrally located within the ring 24a and is pivotally suspended therefrom by the engagementof trunnions 40 within the bushing 32. A flange 4| at the upper periphery of the basin 39 presents holes 42 in registry with others in the broadened end 43 of trunnions 40, whereby connection therebetween is provided by rivets 44.

In the bottom of basin 39 is a large circular aperture 45 circumscribed by a shoulder 46. A block 41 made of porcelain or other heat-resisting material is seated within opening 45 and is supported therein by lugs 48, spaced at equal intervals to project radially from the top wall 49. The upper face of block 41 has a centrally located circular recess having a flat bottom 5|, from which project upwardly a plurality of parallel ribs 52.

An electrical heating element 53 is progressively and undulatingly wound about ribs 52 to lie on bottom 5| and have its two ends disposed at 54. Directly opposite 54 in the wall 49 of the block are openings 55 providing communication from the recess 50 within said block to the outside.

Resting upon the top wall 49 of the block is a vaporant pan 56 open at the top and presenting side walls 51 in juxtaposition to those of the basin 39. The side walls 51 of pan 56 are corrugated to incorporate therein vertical ribs 58 as shown in cross section in Figure 3.v

Contiguous to the outer surface of basin 39 and intermediate said surface and an electrical conductor 59is a flat strip of insulating material 60. The electrical conductors 59lead from eitherend 54 of electric heating element 53 to be anchored under the head at the lower end of bolts or rivets 44. Thus the insulating material 60 insures that no short-circuit will occur by these conductors coming into contact with the basin 39. Also, it will be observed that holes 6| in the flange 4| or the basin 39 are considerably larger than the shanks of the bolts 44 and an insulating washer 62 separates the flange 4| and trunnions 40 to insure that said basin will not contact the bolts or trunnions which are electrically connected to conductors 59.

From the trunnions 40 and away from the heating element 53 the electric circuit leads'by way of conductor strips 21, within the ring 24a,

to trunnions 24, thence to metal clips 22. To the members 22 are soldered an end of flexible electric leads 63, the latter carrying well downunder the swinging posts of the device'and adjacent the walls l2 anterior, to contributing to a duplex conductor member 64 and leading without the housing by way of an eyelet 55. From eyelet 65 conductor 64 progresses to terminate in an ordinary lighting plug to adapt the device to any convenient electric source A snap switch may be placed in this cord to more easily facilitate turning on and oil? the electric source.

Seated upon the housing I0 is a hood 66 of a peculiar shape, comprising a circular shoulder 61, to extend upward and diminishing in diameter to form a neck 68, extending still upwardly and increasing in diameter to form a head 69.

P The hood 66 is hollow and constructed of the same material as housing H). An angular opening 10 is provided in the head of the hood 5B and on the opposite side of the device to eyelet 65 of housing ID. The lower rim of the hood has arcuate cutaway sections 1| to provide space for insulating sleeves l5 and to register therewith. The hood shoulder 61 telescopes rather tightly over. the top edge of the housing to thus insure correct position when once assumed.

Projections or knobs I2 may be formed intricatethe exposed ends ofinsulabing Gaps l5 to provide means of attaching cords or straps 13 as one form of support for the device. Cords 13 may be joined at the free ends or arranged in some other suitable manner to fasten the device to the head or shoulders of a patient.

During the heating of a vaporant in the device, heat is radiated from unit 53 at the bottomof the vaporizer pan, and is carried by convection upwardly alongthe corrugations in the side walls thereof, where more wall surface is exposed to the heatedair by the presence of such corrugations. Hence, the period of time neces= sary to vaporize the vaporant is decreased. The

vapor is carried by convection upwardly through i a flat surface.

Since the center of mass of the parts associated within the ring 240. depends below both the rotating axes there contained, angular displacement of the housing to the horizontal in any direction will not tilt the vaporant cup. For example, when trunnions 24 are at different elevations, the cup and heating element will swing within bushings 3 2 to maintain a horizontal state.

When the housing assumes an aslrance position degrees from the above illustrated position, the weight of the cup and porcelain blockw'ill rotate the ring 24a within bearingmembers l6. Any angular displacement of the housing intermediate the two special cases recited will result in complementary rotation of the swinging ele ments about the differential axes whereby the vaporant cup retains its upright position that no hot and liquid vaporant will be spilled therefrom. l

We claim:

1. A vaporizer device comprising a housing, a pan movably disposed therein, and a heating element movable with said pan and a hood removably connected to said housing and extending below the. plane of the top of said pan.

2. A vaporizer device comprising a housing having. an opening in the top, there being a pan, and a heating elementfor 'said pan in said housing and. movabletherein, and a hollow hood having an opening at either end, said hood being removably attached to said housing in a plane below the normal level of the top of said pan so that the vapors from said pan normally are released above the level of the connection between said housing and said hood.

3. In a vaporizer device, the combination of a housing having walls, bearings diametrically opmounted in said housing and coinprisiml an inner element and an out r element. and electrical conducting means intermediate said inner element and said outer element.

5. A vaporizer device comprising a receptacle having therein a support member provided with a heating element, a gimbal joint connecting means between said heating element and said receptacle, there being upon and wholly above said heating element a pan for holding a vaporizer material, conductor means from a, source 10 of energy and extending through. said receptacle and including said gimbal joint providing a circuit to said heating element, and a removable hood having an axis coincident with the axes of said base and pan when the latter are in normal position and comprising a slip over section having its lower edge well below the top level of said pan. 

